Improvement in breech-loading fire-arms



D. M. LEFEVRE. Breach-Loading Fire-Arm.

No. 205,193. v PatentedJune 25,1878.

/ZW v MM @QM UNITED STATES PATENT FFIGE.

DANIEL M. LEFEVER, OF SYRAOUSE, NEW YORK.

IMPROVEMENT IN BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS.

Specication forming part of Letters Patent No. 205, l 93, dated June 25,1878, application filed February l2, 1878.

To all whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, DANIEL M. LEFEVER, of Syracuse, Onondaga county, NewYork, have invented certain Improvements in Breech- Loading Fire-Arms,of` which the following is l a specification, referring to the annexeddrawing, in which- Figure l is a longitudinal vertical section.

Fig. 2 is a top plan, Fig. 3, the lock-bolts; iig. 4, an end View of thebreech-frame, partly in section.

The object of my invention is to give a more perfectly-fitting andpermanent connection between the barrels and breech-piece than hasheretofore been effected, with greater security, and less liability ofthe breech and barrels springing apart.

The barrels are connected with the breechpiece by means of certain hookson the under side of the barrels, that are brought in contact with pinspassing horizontally through the mortise in the breech-piece below thebarrels, a part of which devices are old and have already been patented.The following are my improvements thereon.

The construction of the parts is as follows: The outline of therecoil-piece at c conforms in cross-section with the ends of thebarrels. (See Fig. 4.) The tang b is similar in form to those inordinary use. The projection c, which runs under the barrels, has amortise, d, in it, into which the projections from the under side of thebarrels iit, by which the parts are connected. These projections arethree in number. The forward one, c, has a semicircular notch in itsfront face, that fits onto a pin, d', passing through the mort-ise d atright angles to the barrels. This pin Z enters a recess in the side ofthe frame, and its head has a square shoulder. lt screws into theopposite side of the frame, and by it the parts can be dra-wn togetherto compensate for wear. A blindscrew, d, is screwed in over the head ofthe hinge-screw to conceal it, as seen in the crosssection in Fig. 4..The pin d serves as the pivot for the barrels to turn on when their rearends are thrown up, as seen in Fig. l. In rear of the projection c there1s a second one, f, so formed as to hook over a pm, over which pin thehook'f plays as the rear ends of the barrels are raised. By this meansthe movement is limited without bringing undue strain on the pivot. Apermanent boss, g, projects up Within the mortise d, the faces of whichare milled to the curve of a circle centering in the pivot d. This bossg ts into a recess between hook f and the rear projection h, made justto receive it. On the front face of the piece h there is a wear-plate,t', dovetailed to it, as clearly seen in Fig. l, and behind thiswear-plate 'i there is a set-screw, j, by which the wear-plate can beset up as it wears away, so as to iit closely against the boss g, andassist in holding the barrels up against the recoil-plate. As a furthersecurity, a projection, k, extends backward from the rear end of thebarrels, and ts into a corresponding recess in the recoil-plate, similarto some other arms, the important difference being that the projection khas square shoulders on its front face, as clearly seen in Fig.

'2., whichare cut to the curve of a circle centering on pivot d',corresponding with the shoulders in the recess in the recoil plate. Thisform of shoulder, instead of being rounded or wedged, as heretoforemade, which allows the barrels a spring off from the recoil in ring,securely locks the parts together.

I form the locking-bolt l forked, as clearly seen detached, Fig. 3, l.An additional bolt, m, is connected with l below, catching into a notchin the rear of projection h, thus doubly bolting it. The bolts l m arelimited to their shank n bya single screw, o. They are forced,

forward by a spring, s, under the tang, bearing against the shank n, andare drawn back by a thumbpiece, p. (Seen in Fig. l.)

The frame and barrels are held together by means of a hinge-strap, g,curved on its face to correspond with the end of the projection c on thebreech-piece. The shank of this strap is keyed to and moves with thebarrel.

The lug l1. on the barrel, over which the shank of the hinge-strap qfits in the usual way, has a wear-plate, i', made and adjusted in thesame manner as, and for an analogous purpose to, the wear-plate t' onthe projection h, before described.

To compensate for the Wear of the lower bolt m, above named7 I employ ascrew, m', that is screwed down upon it.

Having thus fully described my improvements in re-arms7 I claiml. Inbreech-loading fire-arms, the projection 7c, formed with squareshoulders on its sides, in combination with the recoil-plate, providedwith a corresponding recess, the shoulders on said projection and on therecess being curved in the arc of a circle struck from the pivot onWhich the barrels turn, substantially as and for the purposes described.

2. rEhe compensating-plate i and adjustingscrew j, attached to theprojections h upon the barrel, as and for the purposes specified.

3. The screw m', for compensating the Wear of the lower catch-bolt m, asabove specified.

In Witness whereof I have hereto signed my name in presence ofWitnesses.

DANIEL M. LEFEVER.

Witnesses:

J. J. GREENOUGH, J Amis S. THoRN.

